Features in the Web Search Interface: How Effective Are They ?

Abstract

With web search getting to be more and more popular, and predictions that they would be even more popular in the coming years, given the exorbitant growth of the web in recent years, search engines, in their quest to be branded the best, have regularly been providing additional features. The users of web search interfaces are typically diverse and have wide ranging interests. This is in contrast to other application interfaces which cater to a specialized group of people. In this study, we examine the influence the interface manifestation of such features has, in their usability and effectiveness.